Tenders to be floated soon to develop two smart cities: Government

MUMBAI: The Centre has identified two places — Dholera in Gujarat and Shendra-Bidkin in Maharashtra — for developing them as smart cities along the Delhi Mumbai Industrial Corridor (DMIC) in the first phase and tenders are likely to be floated soon.

The master plan for these two proposed smart cities are ready, a senior government official said.

The Narendra Modi-led government has decided to create industrial agglomeration along the proposed five industrial corridors including DMIC, Bengaluru-Mumbai economic corridor, Amritsar-Kolkata industrial development corridor, Chennai-Bengaluru and Chennai-Vizag corridor.

"We have planned industrial agglomeration along the five proposed corridors to give boost to manufacturing along with catering to the demand of workers there for better living," department of industrial policy and promotion (DIPP) additional secretary Shatrughna Singh told reporters on the sidelines of a FICCI event.

He said the DMIC will have around 22 places, which will be developed as smart cities.

"Out of the 22, seven places will be taken up in the first phase. To begin with, we have identified two places including Dholera in Gujarat and Shendra-Bidkin in Maharashtra to be developed as smart cities. The master plan for these cities is ready and in this fiscal, we can see some tendering happening by DMIC Development Corporation for the development in these regions," Singh said.

The government has also decided to create a National Industrial Corridor Authority (NICA), which will cover all the corridors except the DMIC, to channelize institutional funding for smart cities.

"DMIC is already in the advanced stages of planning. Therefore, the remaining corridors will come under the purview of the authority. We expect NICA to be formed in this fiscal itself," the official said.

Singh also said that special purpose vehicles (SPVs) will be set up to undertake infrastructure development within the cities.

"While the task of developing transport infrastructure for connecting the cities with the outside regions would be taken up by the Central and state governments, the SPVs will be responsible for infrastructure development within the cities," he added.

Calcutta: Central minister Babul Supriyo said the Bengal government’s failure to bring in reforms, such as scrapping land ceiling rules, was to blame for central funds drying up for urban development projects

Ahmedabad: Union minister for urban development, housing and urban poverty alleviation Venkaiah Naidu said that in coming days central government will fund only those states or cities which are ready for reform and have good performance record

Imphal: The Manipur government’s decision to acquire land at Haollenphai village — in Moreh town bordering Tamu of Myanmar — to set up International Township, a “smart city”, is facing stiff opposition from Thadou students